Bounty in Winter?

 

A few years ago they added a milk vending machine stocked with Ronnybrook Farms products to the juice room at the summer camp where I was once a camper and then counselor.  The chocolate milk from that machine was the out of this world: thick, smooth, and just sweet enough.  I was pleased then to see Ronnybrook milk show up at my local grocery store last year (though it was at outrageous prices).  I was even more thrilled to see Pam at the local Columbia green market on Thursdays selling more of it.  She mentioned that she sold a wider variety at the 97th street green market between Amsterdam and Columbus.  I finally started going and above was this week’s bounty.

The market would be worthwhile on its own just for the Ronnybrook milk (and cream and butter and yogurt).  But Dan is also there selling the recently matured Portobello mushrooms you see above.  His oyster mushrooms weren’t there this week but they are among the most beautiful and tasty fungi I’ve ever met.  This makes it a pretty awesome early Friday morning trip.  This time I also opted for some on the cob popping corn.

Sharpen the knife and fire up the grill!

Following the heels of Friday night’s triumph of Red Snapper with Fennel and Mushrooms (a la Mark Bittman) I just received news that I made it into Roxbury Farm’s CSA (community supported agriculture) program.  I’ll be getting beautiful organic vegetables and sweet, sweet fruits from June through November.  I opted out of the winter storage box option.  Perhaps a mistake.

I started cooking a lot over the summer and my bi-weekly trips to the green market couldn’t compete with the goods that Winnie was getting through her CSA.  I had to suffer through all of the Summer and Fall since a lot of the CSA’s fill up in January and February.  Well I was on the ball this year so the green-eyed monster will no longer afflict me when I see other vegetables.

Karneval at Zum Schneider

My night at Zum Schneider:

1.  Walk to the subway in full gorilla costume (2 gawkers)

2.  Take subway to Zum Schneider.  Have interaction with the Doo-Wop Time buskers.  Wonder if their selection of “In the Jungle” is inspired by my outfit

3. Walk from the 8th St. N stop to Zum Schneider (1 gawker)

4.  Panic as I’m the last in line to get checked in by the bouncer as I hear a man shout out from the bar “The Can-Can.”  Enter to the end of the Can-Can, averting disaster.  Do not notice the fish-net legged tu-tu wearing mannequin bottom halfs stuck to the ceiling.  Do notice all the women on stage in corsets and fishnets. Pretend to groom the girl sitting in front of me.

5.  Get grabbed by one of the aforementioned corset and fishnet clad performers to go up on stage and participate in a German beer tasting competition.  Get blindfolded.  The only preparation is hearing my competition go first to the sounds of “Drink! Drink! Drink!” in a German accent.

6.   Participate to the sounds of “Drink! Drink! Drink!” in a German accent.  Stay in character when asked what kind of beer it was and reply, “Bananas?”  Receive no laughter.  Spend the rest of the night with the owner coming up and saying “You fucked up!”

7.  Eat weisswurst.  Drink steins of excellent German beer.

8.  Rinse.

9.  Repeat.

Karneval Bohemia!

Zum Schneider’s Karneval cabaret tradition continues. I’ll be going on Tuesday. You should too. The info is below, along with some of last year’s pictures.

Karneval Bohemia 2008

Costume Party

Thursday, January 31
through Tuesday, February 5
Doors open at 8pm

Like every year, Zum Schneider will produce an
extravagant and unique show and party for the Karneval season.

The popular Alphabet City place, notorious for its crazy Oktoberfest and Karneval parties, will completely change from a Bavarian eatery into a decadent cabaret location.

DJ Volka Racho spinning endless party music
and German Karneval hits before, during and after the show.

Please come in costume!
Turn of the century/Moulin Rouge style, but anything goesTickets are $13 in advance (online or at the bar), $17 at the door

Most nights will sell out in advance.

 

 

Me with “Piggy Sue.”

Right.

Kermit trying to make the show go on.

Sometimes they even let you get on stage.  Kelly got to sing.  “Menomena!” or “Barack Obama!”

 

Plenty of good German beer. A fantastic German sausage platter. People dressed as animals. You get the idea . . .

 

 

 

I Am What I Eat

My friend Ganda is a food writer who has a blog about food entitled Eat Drink One Woman. This blog has a feature known as You Are What You Eat or YAWYE to those in the know. It’s featured such local luminaries as Jeremy (aka Cal d’Hommage), the lead guitarist for Nous Non Plus. This week it features me eating a big ass turkey leg.